Today is a great day for this Parliament and for the people of Pakistan. We are receiving a dear friend and the leader of a great nation that is our next door neighbour.

President Xi Jinping! You are a special guest.
Confucius said centuries ago:
“How delightful it is to have friends visiting us from afar!” So are we delighted to have you amidst us. You are, however, not a friend from afar; but one, who is so close to our heart.

Mr. Xi Jinping! As in China, you are popular in Pakistan. We know you have a strong association with Pakistan.

We are good neighbours, close friends, dear brothers, and trusted partners. We have an all-weather, time-tested cooperative strategic partnership.
We are truly iron brothers.

I extend warm greetings to all the Chinese friends here in this Chamber and who are watching us live.

President Xi Jinping! As you can see, leaders and representatives of all the political parties are here to welcome you. All political parties in Pakistan have one united stance: Pakistan should have a robust bond with China. This is also the aspiration of the constituents they represent and in fact the entire nation of Pakistan.

We thank you for your inspiring address, your solidarity with the people of Pakistan, and your valuable insights on how our two nations should move forward, hand in hand, to seize new opportunities and overcome challenges.

We will do so in pursuit of our shared goals of peace, stability and prosperity in our region and beyond.

Let me assure you Mr. President, Pakistan considers China's security as its own security. We would fight together to eliminate the menace of terrorism. Our joint efforts in this regard have succeeded but we need to intensify these efforts toaccomplish our objective.

In the international forums, Pakistan will continue to support One China Policy and China's stand on its core national interests.

We appreciate China's solidarity with Pakistan in our quest for peace and stability in South Asia through engagement on all outstanding issues.

We applaud your vision of 'Community of Shared Destiny', underpinned by "One Belt, One Road". This vision is anchored in the strong desire of the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe to cement their common bonds for a better future.

Pakistan-China Economic Corridor is a product of the joint endeavours of our two countries at the conceptual and operational levels. It has moved fast into the implementation phase. This is a catalytic project that will help us to combine the geo-strategic and geo-economic streams of our relationship. It will benefit the entire country and all the provinces - Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.

The Corridor will stimulate completion of the projects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, energy and industrial development.

We are grateful to the Chinese leadership, state institutions, banks and corporations for supporting all these projects, especially power projects.

This Parliament, the Government and the people of Pakistan thank China for its commitment to help us resolve the energy crisis and make Pakistan self-sufficient in energy.

The Corridor is the critical connective plank of One Belt-One Road. It symbolizes our determination to create win-win partnerships, which threaten none, but benefit all.

Our defence ties are strong; and they are poised to become stronger in the years to come.

This year is the year of friendly exchanges. Let the youth of the two countries inherit this unique relationship that we have developed over the decades and take it to new heights. Our young entrepreneurs, academics, media-persons, teachers, students and professionals, will sustain our friendship and make it even more productive.

President Xi! Your visit and your address are a historic moment, as we look at our relationship over the next fifteen years and beyond. I appreciate all members of your delegation for the diligent preparation they have made for this visit.

I would conclude with a couplet from our national poet - Allama Mohammad Iqbal:

I will translate it for you: Open your eyes,look at the land, the skies and the air - Look at the rising sun from the East.

Mr. President! Your dream has not only galvanized the people of China, it has also inspired the people of Pakistan.